Homophobic Cape Town Pastor Ordered to Stop Preaching Hate

The controversial, homophobic Cape Town pastor Oscar Bougardt, has received a court order to cease in delivering and preaching anti-LGBTI vitriol for the next two months.

Bougardt who was facing charges by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for violating a previous court agreement to stop making hate statements, has been given an ultimatum by the Western Cape High Court.

According to the Daily Voice, Bougardt was supported in court by a group of pastors, including members of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), which has a history of being anti-LGBTI.

Bougardt who appeared without any legal representation explained to the judge that his lawyer was currently overseas.

Judge Lee Bozalek agreed to postpone the matter until the 14th of May 2018 to allow the preacher to ensure that his lawyer could attend or to secure other legal counsel.

However, in the meantime, the judge ordered Bougardt to “not express yourself publicly on homosexuality” for the next two month or “face further charges.”

A concerned Bougardt asked if he could preach against homosexuality in the church, however, Judge Bozalek elaborated that for now, he could only speak on the matter at home. His lawyer, however, will be allowed to argue that Bougardt should be able to express his homophobic views in church.

Speaking on Facebook, Bougardt wrote about his court appearance saying, “No court in the world can ever stop the Word of God being preached.”

“They may stop an individual, but God will raise up more to preach His Word. I am being barred from preaching certain bible verses, I face more persecution if I don’t adhere.”

Bougardt who has publicly denounced and attacked the LGBTI community since 2011, has accused gay people of being child molesters, of being sinful perverts, and even appearing to call for their execution.

In his 2014, South African courts approved a settlement with the SAHRC, stating that Bougardt would agree to stop making discriminatory or hateful comments against the LGBTI community, in conjunction with an official apology and asking for forgiveness.

However, he soon after went back to repeatedly attacking, insulting and demeaning LGBTI people on social media and in the press. In January, Bougardt claimed that Cape Town’s drought is God’s “divine judgment” because it “is the capital sodomite city of the world…”